Refrigerating and ventilating apparatus.



, Patented Nov. I2, |90I. 0. P. STERGREN.

REFRIGERATING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS.

(Application led June 11, 1900. Renewed Apr. 17, 1901.)

(No Model.)

. JEL n J W/T/VESSES UNITED BTATns VPATnNT Trice.

OSCAR P. OSATERGREN, OF BEDFORD PARK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THEOSTERGREN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF- NEW JERSEY.

REFRIGERATING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 686,531, dated November12, 1901. i Application filed J'une 11,1900. Renewed April 17, 1901.Serial No. 56,220. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom tmay concern:

Be it known t-hatI, OSCAR P. OSTERGREN, a resident of Bedford Park,borough of Bronx, city and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Refrigerating and Ventilating Apparatus, ofwhich the followingis a specication.

My invention consists ofimproved means `of refrigerating and Ventilatingrailway-cars, xo dwelling-rooms, warerooms, dro., by evaporation ofliquefied air, nitrogen, or other fiuids that evaporate by atmospherictemperature. The present system of car refrigeration in transportationof perishable goods-such as fruits, meats, vegetables, &c.-is one whichas yet gives room for radical improvements. Melting ice in boxes exposedto a current of air is` the refrigerating medium generally used at thepresent time on the railroads ,but the zo bulk and weight of the sameare very great, and the initial cost for the refrigerant is high, with acorrespondingly highfreight rate. To this consideration is added thefact that the melting ice always gives off damp water-vaz 5 pors to thecirculating air, which in turn deposits a part thereof on the articleswe desire to preserve with damaging effect.

Before proceeding to describe my improved refrigerating and Ventilatingsystem I will 3o first point out some desirable features in carrefrigeration, the attainment of which I consider as being of greatestimportance. First, the refrigerant should be in such a concentrated formthat bulk and weight are minimum; second, it should be dry andpreservative; third, the consumption of the refrigerant should beregulated so that the temperature is constant; fourth, the isolationfrom the atmospheric temperature should be as 4o perfect as possible;fifth, sufcient quantity of the refrigerant should be carried to lastthe entire journey of the car without refilling at intermediatestations, all of which I seek to attain by my improved system, ashereinafter described, reference being made to theaccompanying'drawings, in which-7 Figure 1 is a vertical section of acar-body or other room or chamber to be cooled and of thc apparatuswhich I have chosen in this rial for said casing.

example by which to illustrate my invention. 5o Figs. 2 and 3 aredetails of the apparatus, Fig. 2 being a transverse section of theevaporator D; and Fig. 3, a transverse section of an evaporator, (markedD;) fourth, a heat- 6o ingcoil, (marked E;) fifth, a thermostat.,(marked F,) and, sixth, a governing apparatus, (marked G.)

The room A, above referred to, to be refrigerated may be a wareroom orthe trunk o? a car or other room, as stated. In either case I prefer tomake the same ofalightinner casing 1, of some air-tight material, and anouter casing 2, of composite material, such as is used in bestrefrigerating-cars at the present time, 7o yet I do not wish to limitmyself to any detinite mode of construction or kind of mate- It isimportant, however, that even this casing shouldbe made air-tight or asnearly so as practicable to prc- 7 5 vent atmospheric moisture frompenetrating the same. Between casings 1 and 2 I leave a free air-space3, which extends all around the entire chamber A. Distance-pieces 4between the casings are provided; but their area 8o of contact should beas small as possible. The lower side of casing 1 is perforated withsmall holes 5 for communication between space 3 and the interior ofchamber A. Outer casing 2, has at the top an opening 6. 7 is 85 a hoodor lift-valve over opening 6. Aslight air-pressure from the inside iscapable of lifting said-Valve, and thus opening communication of space 3with the atmosphere.

Container B, which may for convenience 9o he made spherical, is composedof an inner vessel 8, an cuter shell 9, porous packing 10- such as hair,felt, or sawdust-and intermediate dividing-sheets 11 and 12. If thevessel is exposed to shocks, jars, and Vibrations, such as it will besubject to in cars, it should be suspended on elastic springs, such as13. The dividing-sheets 11 and 12which may be made of lightmaterial-such as rubberoid, oil-cloth, or rubber-have each an opening,respectively, let and 15, placed diametrieally opposite one another. Acoiled pipe 16 in the interior of vessel 8 extends between the upper andthe lower parts of said vessel, being open at its upper end to theinterior space. Its lower end is connected to vessel 8 and opens intospace 17. Now if vessel 8 is partially filled with a liquid theair-space above said liquid will be in communication with space 17through coil 16. Space 17 communicates with space 1S by means of openingl5 and with space 19 by means of opening 15, space 18, and opening 14.Space 19 finally communicates with a pipe 20, through which the vapor iseither discharged into the room or into the atmosphere, according as thetemperature is to be raised or lowered in the room. An opening 21 isprovided at the top of the vessel for filling same from outside thechamber. Shell 9 hasa telescopic connection 22 with an opening throughthe upper wall of chamber A. A heavy removable plug 23 is providedforclosingup opening 21 after filling. By a hole 2t vessel 8 is made tocornmunicatewith evaporator D by a dischargepipe c. Said pipe c ispreferably of small diameter, and the end which enters into evaporator Dis besides preferably contracted. It is formed as a trap to form aliquid seal to exclude vapor from the container.

Evaporator D is a long cylindrical vessel or pipe supported on the wallof the chamber, or it may be suspended from the roof. It has severalradial and longitudinal ribs, as shown in its transverse section, Fig,3, presentinga large heat-absorbing area to the outside air.

Heater Eis a continuation of evaporator D, although made of a plainpipe-coil, as shown. Its function is to vaporize the cooling liquid fromthe container and discharge the cool vapor into the room when thetemperature 0f the room is high and valve 35 is opened by thethermostat.

Thermostat F is preferably a cylindrical vessel placed in a verticalposition, as shown. It may be provided with ribs 25, as shown in itstransverse section, Fig. 3, for the purpose vofincreasingtheheat-conducting area. There is a small pipe 26 inside this vessel, whichconnects at the top with an overflow-cup 27 and extends to the lower endof said vessel. Vessel F is filled with liquid of a higher expansivecoefficient than that of the material of the vessel. I prefer to makethe vessel of cast-iron or bronze and to nearly fill the same withalcohol, which can be done through nozzle 28. After a suitable amount ofalcohol has been introduced nozzle 28 must be tightly capped. I thenintroduce mercury through cup 27 and pipe 26 until vessel F is entirelyfilled. Some of the mercury will of course aggregate in the bottom ofvessel F and then fill pipe 26 and partially cup 27. Any change ofvolume in the liquid due to change of temperature will immediatelyresult in a change to last from two to three weeks or more.

of the mercury-level in cup 27. Two valves 29 and 30 fioat inthe mercuryin cup 27. Said valves when up against their seats will cut oicommunication between pipes 32 and 33, connected into the cover of cup27, and stop the mercury from entering them.

34 is a lift-valve which closes the outlet of air into chamber A whenvalves 30 and 29 are down and pipes 32 and 33 are open.

35 is a valve hinged o`n a lever 36 for open-l ing or closing heater E.

3l is aweight suspended on lever 36. Weight 31 is surrounded by cylinder37, which is an extension of cup 27. After the mercury is high enough incup 27 to close float-valves 29 and 30 it will rapidly ascendy incylinder 37 and lift weight 31, relieve valve 35 of said weight 31,allowing valve 35 to open.

The operation is as follows: Liquid air or liquid nitrogen is firstintroduced into container B through pipe 22. Plug 23 is placed inposition to cover opening 21. Said plug 23 is made heavy, but is free tobe lifted should any excessive pressure occur from the interior. It willthus act as a safety-valve. I'Ieat penetrating the insulated containerwill cause the liquid to boil at a very slow rate. I have in previousexperiments found that in a similar vessel of forty gallons capacity somuch liquid air is not entirely evaporated iu less than seven days. Ifin the case of a refrigerating-car we should use,say,one hundred andfifty to two hundred gallons, it may be mage T e vapors thus producedwill be employed first in protecting the vvessel from heat from theoutside as they pass through spaces 17, 18, and 19, and then for coolingthe chamber as they are liberated therein. If a certain approximatetemperature is required in the chamber, the thermostat will be adjustedac cordingly simply by regulating the quantity of mercury in cup 27 topermit valves 29 and 36 to fall and allow a free passage for the coldair from pipes 2O and 32 into 33 when the minimum temperature allowablein the chamber is reached and will lift them up against their seatsbefore the maximum temperature is reached. By means of adjustiugnut 38weight 31 should be so located that valve 35 will open at or beforemaximum temperature is obtained. As long as vvalve 35 is closed noliquid air can enter evaporator D on account of back pressure from theair therein. Such a back pressure will be produced as soon as the valveis shut by the e'eet of the evapo ration of the first few drops ofliquid that enters. The entire regulation of temperature within thechamber is thus accomplished automatically in a very short range ofvariation, and it will be entirely possible to keep a constanttemperature even though the bulk of the refrigerant is graduallydiminished. The gases liberated within the chamber'are allowed to sinkdownward and through the perforated bottom into space 3, from whencethey pass out through opening 6 to the at- IOO mosphere. The same gasesare thus also made to insulate the chamber from external heat, as theywill absorb a good deal of such heat from wall 2 and carry it outthrough said opening 6.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with a chamber orroom to be cooled by an evaporating liquid, of the container for theliquid having a labyrinthal insulating-jacket, an outlet from theupperinner space for the vapors into said jacket, a discharge-passagefrom the exterior of the jacket for the vapors, valves controlling theescape of the vapors into the chamber, or outward therefrom, accordingas the temperature of the room varies, and a therlnostatic controllerfor said valves, said controller subject to the varying temperature ofthe room for controlling it.

2. The combination with a chamber or room-` to be cooled'by anevaporating liquid, of the container for the liquid having a labyrinthalinsulating-jacket, an outlet from the upper inner space of saidcontainerfor the'vapors into said jacket, a discharge-passage from the exteriorof the jacket for the vapors, valves controlling the escape of thevapors into the chamber, or outward therefrom, according as. thetemperature of the room changes, an

evaporator connected with the liquid-retainer for limited escapeof theliquid thereinto, and adapted for discharge of the' vapors into theroom, a valve controlling the discharge according as the temperature ofthe room varies, and a thermostat-contrller for said valve, and also forthe valves controlling the vapors from thejacket, said thermostatsubject to the varying temperature of the room.

3. The combination witha chamber or room to be cooled by anevaporating'liquid, of the container having a labyrinthalinsulatingjacket, an outlet from the upper inner space of. saidcontainer, for=the vapors into said discharge the vapors into theroom,the weighted float-valve and lever controlling the valve,

and the liquid thermostat controlling the Weight.` Y

5.A The combination with a chamber or room to be cooled by anevaporating liquid, of the container for the liquid, the evaporatorconnected with the liquid-retainer for limited escape of the liquidthereinto and adapted to discharge the vapor into the room, the weightedvalve, oating weight and lever controlling the valve, the labyrinthalinsulating-jacket for the container, outlet from the upper inner spaceof the container for the vapors into said jacket, a discharge-passagefrom the exterior of the jacket for thevapors, said passage having anoutlet into the room provided with a gravitating valve for closing it,said passage also -having an outlet into the atmosphere provided withfloat-valves for closing it, and the liquid-thermostat controlling saidfloatvalves, and also controlling the oat of the weighted valve, toopenthe one and close the other, according as the temperature of the roomvaries. l

Signed at- New York city this 3d day of June,

OSCAR P. OSTERGREN. Witnesses:

C. SEDGWICK, J. M HOWARD.

